This Saturday, the Dallas Cowboys watched their playoff path disappear after the Eagles handed the Commanders a 29-18 loss. And the next day, the Cowboys Nation processed another painful ending in Week 16 after losing 34-17 to the Chargers. No wonder quarterback Dak Prescott was already busy introspecting.

“I’ve said this over and over [to the team]. ‘We are blessed. You know how hard we worked, the sacrifices we made to even get to this league.’ I said it to the team on Friday when we were breaking down, or on Saturday. ‘This game has given us so much; how could you cheat it?’

“I’m not going to cheat this game. I will give this game everything I have,” the quarterback said during the post-game conference.

He talked about effort, pride, and why quitting was never an option for him. And that’s the theme for the next two weeks as well.

“We got two weeks left, and nothing’s promised in life, right? Football careers damn sure aren’t. Let’s enjoy these two weeks, cherish these moments, these practices, the time together with the men and brothers that we love, and we’ve got an opportunity to play with.’ This team won’t be the same next year, so let’s enjoy this and give it our best.”

However, they missed that exact energy this game week, where they lost 34-17 to the Los Angeles Chargers. With that, the Chargers moved to 11-4, and the Cowboys slipped to 6-8-1. Dallas has three straight losses, more questions, and less belief currently.

For instance, the second half against Los Angeles told the real story. Dallas’ offensive possessions went as follows: punt, turnover on downs, more turnover on downs, and turnover on a fumble. The final fumble was because of quarterback Joe Milton, who took off to run and didn’t slide.

To make matters worse, the Cowboys were beaten throughout the game by Justin Herbert’s team, allowing at least one score in every quarter.

Herbert stayed sharp and in control. He finished 23 of 29 for 300 yards and two scores. On the other hand, Dak Prescott went 21-of-30 for 244 yards and two touchdowns before Milton took over.

Still, numbers could not mask the mood. After the game, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones summed up the season with one word.

Jerry Jones sums up the Cowboys’ season

After the dust settled in Dallas, Jerry Jones did not dodge the truth. He boiled the entire year down to one word: underachieved.

“Absolutely, we underachieved this season,” Jones said. “We all underachieved.”

This marks the second straight year the Cowboys missed the playoffs. It is also the fourth time in seven seasons. Their questionable defense played a big role in this.

Sure, Dallas swung big with a mid-season move for DL Quinnen Williams, but the ripple effects of sending Micah Parsons to Green Bay lingered all year. After 15 games this season, the Cowboys’ defense slid down to ranking 30th in the league.

At the same time, the offense faded late. Losses to the Lions and Vikings in December sealed the collapse. And Jones did not hide from the blame. Speaking on 105.3 The Fan on Friday, he addressed the failure.

“I know exactly who is ultimately responsible; I got involved not to own and have an investment. I got involved to spend my life trying to figure out how to beat the rest of the NFL; I take it real serious.”

Even head coach Brian Schottenheimer echoed that same disappointment earlier this week. “We get judged on winning and losing, and we haven’t won enough games.”

After two more regular-season games, the offseason begins for Dallas. The Cowboys need to introspect, fill in their weak areas, and come back stronger next season.